Mufti Menk – Rebuilding a Failing Society
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Bismillah Alhamdulillah he was salatu salam ala Rasulillah Heba, Allah, Allah, he was so happy here Gemma and my brothers and sisters, without honesty, and without integrity, we are not going to go anywhere in life. We need to be upright, meaning unbelievers.
One of the things that I need to develop and all of us need to develop
is a connection with Allah that brings about positive change in our lives, such that we can beam that change upon others so that they can change too
many times we find that society is crumbling because we have drifted away from that connection with Allah primarily. I promise you when the Quran speaks about taqwa, when the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him speaks about Taqwa. It is not something light it is one of the most repeated pieces of instruction that Allah has. Yeah. Are you loving?
telco law, how many times have we heard that? Yeah, you
should cool Rob bank home how many times Allah tells humankind at the beginning of Surah two Nisa? Oh man, and this is not referring only to the believers develop the correct relationship with your maker.
We've spoken in detail about taqwa in the past. And here I am telling you develop your correct or the correct relationship with your maker Taqwa.
Taqwa to create a barrier between you and the displeasure of Allah, the punishment of Allah, anything that is negative between you and Allah create a barrier.
And that would mean you need to plug in with Allah subhanho wa taala. You need to ensure that you understand what is taqwa without it. No society can be rebuilt or even built in the first place.
My brothers and sisters, we save fear, Allah. I'm sure you've heard people say it duckula Fear Allah. They are not wrong. But it's an aspect of it. I've been asked by some of the youth a few years ago, that why are we taught to be scared of Allah.
And I responded, it's not actually being scared of Allah.
It is fearing the wrath of Allah, the anger of Allah, the punishment of Allah when He is the Most Merciful, the Most kind, the Most Compassionate, the most forgiving, and you still have an element of fear, I don't want to spoil this wonderful relationship. So that is born out of love.
It's born out of love.
I love someone so much that I fear disturbing the relationship. So therefore, I will be conscious of it at all times. You know, when we love someone,
surely we don't want to
spoil the relation. We don't want to do anything that might create a problem because we love them so much. That fear of disturbing the relation or making them upset or angering them even
that fear is born out of tremendous love. I love you so much that if you say anything, it's I'll do it. It's okay fine. Why I just don't want to disturb the relation Wallahi the example of Allah is higher than that. Well, Allah Hill methylone Allah.
If we develop a relationship with Allah, born out of tremendous love of Allah, you automatically fear disturbing that relationship. It took Allah and when that happens,
what I mean is when you've developed that relationship, in such a beautiful way filled with true love of Allah, Allah loves you back. Allah loves you back.
Just like the narration says, Whoever loves or is looking forward to with love the meeting with Allah, Allah is looking forward to with love meeting them man, a hub Balika Allah He a Habibollah, who Lita who whoever is looking forward with love to the meeting with Allah to the day they are going to meet with Allah. Allah is telling us that He loves
He is also filled with that love towards that particular person, meeting them towards meeting that particular person. Simple. So
Why would I not fill my heart with love for Allah? I always tell people don't use the term quickly
in the same sentence as the word salah.
Try not to I am guilty at times. I say let me quickly pray and I will see you just now.
I've become a little bit more conscious of it I don't want to say quickly anymore because I love Allah enough. If I can spend hours a day on the phone with my loved ones, surely I can spend time with Allah and limited in prayer where Allah tells us a caribou Maya Kunal Abu lira be Wahoo, Sajid, the closest that a worshiper can be to his Lord, his Maker his cherish and nourisher Sustainer provide a protector Chiara is when he is in the condition of prostration. He or she?
If that's the case, when I get into sujood, a true believer becomes more conscious because of the love you have for Allah. True Believer becomes more conscious of the duration of that sujood and the feeling in the heart. Am I just getting done with it quickly? Because I've got another commitment or can the rest of everything wait until I'm done here?
attitudes, small change will make a big difference. massive difference, because it's born out of the love of Allah. Do you love Allah? Everyone will put their hands who loves Allah put your hands up? Who we all love Allah, may Allah love us back?
Are you prepared to make a small effort? So that that love can be more and more genuine because in my life, I've seen a lot of young boys and girls and even the older ones say I love you. And sometimes they say it with that read to make it sound so acceptable to the I Love You to make it sound like really I you know what? Ah, and now your eyes have closing you become a little bit this way. Your mouth your voice starts changing I love you expressing with your tongue. What is not even in your heart? How many people say I love you? You remember years ago I said something? It actually went viral. I said, if someone can say lol without laughing they can easily say I love you without
loving. Simple.
How many of us are guilty of just writing lol And you haven't even laughed, you're frowning. You even said and you put emojis where you are like laughing laughing but you you are the straight face completely. Am I right or wrong? Those little yellow faces which are, you know the other way around with too? Laughing meaning with with the eyes that are almost tearing of laughter? Am I right? And you're not laughing? I've done that so many times I keep doing it. May Allah forgive me.
It just means what you said is of laughter. If humankind can do that, without laughing surely they can tell you I love you without loving. Don't be deceived. Do not be deceived, that when someone says I love you, it is just a claim that needs to be proven. It is a claim that needs to be proven. It is basically something you you are claiming. If you have not proved it, it is not true. The same applies in your relationship with Allah, I love Allah. I love Allah. But when Allah made things haram, when Allah made things haram, they don't even
change anything in you. And when Allah has made something obligatory, it doesn't really change you in any way. You don't give it importance that's not love, we can do better. My brothers, my sisters, I can do better in sha Allah, and I promise I will by the will of Allah, may Allah strengthen me, and may Allah strengthen all of us, we can all do better. Why am I saying this because we want to rebuild society, and we want to rebuild the nation and every nation needs to be rebuilt. We want to rebuild the Ummah, when I say rebuild, it is already depicting that we have gotten to a level where we feel we've degraded ourselves and you know what we are not where we're supposed to be. Let's
rebuild one of the cornerstones of it is to develop this relationship with Allah because it is holistic.
It is complete.
When Allah just tells you taco Allah, you know how powerful that statement is. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
explains to us two simple qualities that will be the biggest reason for people entering Jannah Taku Allah He was known for Loki. He says that relationship I call it developing the correct relationship with Allah. It has a deep meaning a very deep meaning but people say feed the fear of Allah I explained to you, it's probably it should be born out of tremendous love of Allah subhanho wa taala. And at the same time, some people say the consciousness of Allah Allah says Correct. Be conscious of Allah. Develop the correct relationship with Allah when you are
have the correct relationship with Allah and you have great character and conduct. You deserve paradise. That's according to the Hadith, you are the most deserving of paradise. I promise you. If Allah has said, you and I are deserving of paradise with certain qualities, we will have a taste of something brilliant and good on earth before we go to the hereafter.
You reckon all the rules of Islam and all the do's and don'ts and the obligations and the prohibitions? Do you know that if a person really adheres to what they are taught, they will start to taste the contentment and the beauty of this world, even if they're jobless, unemployed, and they don't really have money for the next meal? May Allah create ease for all of us. They start tasting contentment, they are happy, they adjust their lives and they're still sing at Hamdulillah. We've been I have seen people who have a leg amputated. Years ago when I was a student, we visited one of our teachers after the motor motorcar accident, and he lost his legs.
And he said, Alhamdulillah I lost my legs and I was young and I thought this man is making a mistake. He must be sedated because of the painkillers. He doesn't know what he's saying. He's saying Alhamdulillah I lost my legs. And someone said in Allah he were in LA Hara John. He said the reason I say Alhamdulillah is I have used these legs to walk to the masjid five times a day for the last 20 years.
And I believe I tried my best and inshallah I've succeeded never to use these legs to walk towards haram. That's when I was moved. I said, Whoa, these are the people regional Meenal mini Neri jallo
sada Kumar.
From among the believers are those who have fulfilled their promise Unto Allah Allah. Today we made a promise to Allah as well. Oh Allah, I love you helped me to change I promise I'm going to get closer to you. Make it easy for me to get closer to you and then start making an effort. There are those who promised Allah we will never use our limbs and organs in wrong and in Haram. Oh Allah make it difficult for me to sin and Allah will make it difficult for you. Oh Allah, wherever my neffs and my soul wants me to meander and wants me to lose the way to you make it difficult for me to sin so that I never, ever spoil my relationship with you.
Allahu Akbar, you want to build society, you don't have a relationship with Allah. It's impossible.
I remember my father years ago saying, you cannot work with a person who doesn't have Taqwa. You cannot work with them. You can't. You need to have basic Taqwa. If you don't have the consciousness of Allah, you're going to rub me cheat me deceive me. You're going to create obstacles, you're going to cause problems. You're not going to be honest and genuine, you will be hypocritical. The minute you have a consciousness with Allah, I promise you, it's the beginning of such a beautiful life. You may go through hardship. Allah makes it easy. Look at the companions of Rasulullah sallallahu wasallam. How many hardships did they face right at the beginning, starting from the people of
Makkah, the early Muslims struggle the most, but they will content, they will content Billa livanova. And the story of Adam
is amazing. We know it, we learnt it since we were kids. And I tell you it's a story of unwavering faith in Allah. I don't care what you're doing for me. It's my Lord.
You if you're going to kill me, end of the day, I'm going to go back to my Lord. And I think of man, I have balita Allahu Akbar, Allahu Allah, who,
with us, no one's telling you, we're going to kill you. You might face small persecutions here and there. In fact, you're lucky to be living in an Islamic environment in some communities and societies. And yet we don't pray. We don't dress appropriately, we do things that are wrong. And when we do things that are wrong, we are human, we may falter. We don't even think at night, you know what I did was actually wrong. So to ponder over your actions, and to try and promise to effect change and do something about it is part of the rebuilding. We have societies and communities that have crumbled, simply because we lost the essence of living in the society. We don't enjoy it
anymore. People don't want to deal with Muslims. I met a brother a few days ago in Lagos, he said, Do you know the northerners in some places, certain people from certain parts don't want to do business with people from the same pot. They say I prefer to go somewhere else and deal with this person that because we are being robbed, we are being cheated. I said I refuse to believe what you're saying.
He says Just thank Allah you're not Nigeria.
I said how can you say that when Nigeria is my favorite place? Right?
I said let's leave it at that. It's okay. I don't need to know more. But I the reason I'm mentioning it is you might know what I'm saying. Who knows?
If people as believers do not want to do business with one another because they fear being shortchanged, then we have a problem. It should be the other way around. Take a look at some people of other faiths, they will only do business with people from their own church or from their own synagogue.
As a starting point.
May Allah make it easy
to be able to build community and society, honesty, integrity, connection with Allah cornerstones. Be upright, learn to want goodness for others, because Allah has created a system whereby there is there are those who have and those who don't have it's a test for both those who have it's a test what are you going to do with it? And are you going to look out for those who don't have because a day passed in your life when you didn't have someone somehow someway favored you? And if you did not see the favor of the person you need to recognize it was always the favor of Allah.
How did you become wealthy? The answer is only one Allah
is Carla Allah Who kumu hula, the frog in hola hola. You're born fairy in. Here is the example of Tharun ALLAH blessed him with so much he didn't relate it to Allah. Allah gave him so much. But he says he was arrogant, haughty, he says Ooty to who will allow him in Indy. All that I have is because I'm a sharp guy. I'm a good businessman. I'm very shrewd. And I'm whatever whatever he might have said, Allah says, he says, I've been given this because of my own knowledge, who gave him the brain in the first place? Who gave him the opportunity to be at the right place at the right time? I promise you ask some of the wealthiest of the lot. What will they tell you?
Allah blessed us, because we were born some way. Because we were in the right place, right time we interacted with some people, sometimes you're sitting next to someone now. And you haven't even greeted them if you were to greet them, who knows who they might be and who knows what type of a partnership they might be between you in business in business. Yet you've just come for the peace and unity convention. You were seeking the Door of Allah, Allah says my slave, I know you need a little bit of the dunya. I'm going to throw a lot of it at you only to see what are you going to do with the excess?
Will you look at those who don't have just like when you didn't have? And will you reach out to them to empower them to build people? How many of us can build others? today? We look at those who don't have as much as we do. We do not greet them. That's where society is crumbling. We don't greet No, Salam why. How could you greet you come from an upper class? What upper class if you haven't greeted? You've dropped your class to the bottom. That's what it is.
Are you a nurse of Shu Salama Otto Tama was Shinola? Aha so lubi Layli oneness rhenium that Hello Jana Tara become be Salam hadith of Abdullah Hypno Salam Radi Allahu Anhu oh people, he heard the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and you know what he was tiptoeing and looking at this man that everyone was welcoming. And he heard this is a prophet. And he was one of the religious people and the leaders of the Jews, one of their teachers and rabbis. And he looks and he sees this face. And one of the first things he heard from this beautiful mouth is oh, people, spread the peace spread the Salem. The term salam means so many things. I'm not going to go into it right now. But spread
the peace, spread the greeting and on top of the greeting, ensure that you are genuine in it when I say a Salam or Aleikum to you, I mean, I guarantee you I will not harm you. That's the meaning of it.
When you say Peace be upon you. What does it actually mean? It means from me, I guarantee you, I guarantee you there will be peace, no war, no harm, no deception, no cheating, no does nothing. Peace, peace be upon you from what from me and my harm. I'm not going to harm you. Wallahi if we were genuine, just with that Salam, we would have not needed to use the term rebuild society or nation because it would already be built.
of shoe Salama, spread the salam
of Shu Salam o to mo tama and feed the food feeding food to everyone who starts with your circle, your family members, those whom who have and those who don't have. Invite your family over how many of us as time is passing, we feel it a bigger burden
tend to invite our own family for a meal, perhaps once a week, even once a month, sometimes we only have eat together and Wallahi. It's so burdensome, we don't want to go. We are sitting at home doing what? Perhaps sleeping, play liaise, meaning lazing. And when I say sitting at home, we don't even want to attend an invitation from one of the family are we going to go there? I don't need to go there. Well, Allah, he changed that attitude. You want to build society. Take your family members, and your children and grandchildren to family members. Because you know what, that's how you're going to build society. So then people say, but there's always politics. Allah wants to help you to
teach you how to navigate through politics, because there will be bigger challenges in your life. This is with your family, you can go through it, you can learn from it, you can adjust, you can understand the different people, when you go into the wilderness, there are going to be real beasts who are going to treat you even worse, you will already know how to navigate through it. Why, in my family, this politics, look at what blessing that politics did. Oh, it was, how can you run away just because there are two three people who are really nasty, go interact with them, that's your family. Yes, if it becomes toxic, and you really cannot manage, it's a different issue. But I'm
talking about genuinely people who don't even want to meet their family. Yet the Hadith says feed food because you know what, when you feed in the food, you're going to sit together, when you sit together, you're going to be talking, you're going to be learning from each other and about each other, you will see the needs of others and they may see the needs of yours. And when you see each other's issues and you learn from them, you will be able to you will be able to contribute positively towards their lives. And if that's the case, your family will grow, your circles will grow, community will grow, the nation will grow. And that's how you rebuild. But if you're not
prepared to sit and talk to others, I know in many countries where there are elections, sometimes you have a winner, and the winner needs people in order to make the enough numbers for the cabinet and what have you. And what do they do they go and strike a partnership with opposition's to say we need the numbers, people who are opposing them. And they come and they forge an agreement. And these are not family members. These are people who were literally at each other's throats five minutes before the results were announced. I promise you if that is the case, what about my family? My brother? My my, perhaps my brothers in law sometimes that's a little bit far. But I mentioned in
that because you know, in laws, I always told you that one one this way The term was coined from in laws, you get married straightaway. These are my in laws.
Because you have a problem. There'll be lawyers involved. It's all about law.
Well, that's what I thought. Why do they call them in laws anyone know?
To this day, it's the only solution is the only thing that made sense to me was you get married they say these are my in laws, in laws in what law they should have said in loves, right in love.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us. So to
feed the food, feed people and not just feeding help them to meet their basic needs of survival is included in our Mo Tom. Our three Motorama is actually giving them the basics something for their survival. If after emote time is something the messenger has instructed them, to close them and to and to give them some form of accommodation to be able to sleep or a place to rest and to ensure that they are accommodated and clothed is also a duty throughout the image. Because it's also one of the basics Subhanallah Subhanallah amazing Sunol our Hama look at what the prophet Salah Salem is saying after that he says maintain your family ties fulfill connect your family's Sulu Allah Hama,
connect that which Allah has connected to the warmth connected. Why does this happen to be an instruction? Is there not a natural love that supposed to be by virtue of me being a brother or a sibling to another? Yes, they shouldn't be but it needs to be stressed. Because as you grow older, certain material items and things you found on Earth may make you drift away. You need to be reminded so alone arama connect that relation connected.
Connect ye connect because there is an effort required. It's not just gonna happen. You need to be you need to have a big heart you need to overlook certain things. You need to have the courage to address certain important sometimes sensitive matters in the correct way. He may be an issue addressed it or talk about it. It may create a bit of turbulence in the boat but the waters will come down soon because we tackle the matter if it's an important matter learn to raise it is part of Ceylon
I have my brother, I don't like the way you tease me, my brother, you are my sibling, or I don't like the way you speak to so and so within the family, don't do that, or it hurts me, you might be joking. I know many family members, they don't realize the way you you speak sometimes can be offensive to your own family members. And you don't realize this. I've seen it with so many people you don't know, you think I'm just talking to them. Even the young people, they watch how the old is are talking. And they look at them and they see and they learn and they are offended, and they feel hurt. And they won't interact with you because they are young, and they don't want that feeling
around them. So they don't even want to see your face. And you didn't realize it's just the way you spoke. So no matter how old you are, if you're conscious of Allah, you are worried about how you speak how you communicate? What's the difference between us and the animals?
Is it not the brain to begin with? Allah has given us a more sophisticated brain. And Allah has given us abilities. If you cannot think before you speak, and express what you'd like using the best possible way of saying it, then you need help. You need to improve, May Allah help us?
This is where instead of Shut up, you can say keep quiet. For example. This is where instead of saying Get lost, you can say please, whatever else I don't even know how to say it because I don't normally say that.
But if you're not going to be conscious with your tongue, how is how is it going to be possible. Your own family is not being built and you want to talk about rebuilding the nation and the communities and so on. It's not coming. Watch, watch your tongue, simple things can break. And equally important simple things can build. But you need to be conscious. You have that relation with Allah. Do you know a sign of a connection with Allah is when you realize who you are. Who am I?
I am a brother to all of you here. That's what it is. The one who made me made you if I want to impress him, I need to have a good relation with you.
I see some of the young people jostling. Sometimes as we're walking past it's impossible to greet everyone and sometimes you know we have a few brothers walking with us. Some of them are a little bit rough and they might push you out of the way whenever I see someone being pushed a bit. I paused for a moment I say my brother How are you giving them Salah Malik shake your hand you know what I don't want you to be hurt if I had it my way I would walk alone one min one min. I don't need anyone to walk around me because we are in Nigeria that one of the safest places on earth.
Especially in this hole anyone feeling unsafe? Not even one. Mashallah.
But there you are, when you realize that every one is made by Allah the same way Allah made you, that is when problems begin to resolve. You look at the political crises in the Middle East today, a group of people think that they are God's gift to the universe. And that's why they belittle the others to the degree that they really think these are not even humans.
That's why we have a massive problem. The day they believe that we were all created the same way and we have equal rights and we are equal human beings. It's the beginning of the end of the problem.
It needs to happen. May Allah Almighty protect us from haughtiness. That was karoun What was he saying? He says, There we are, I am the one it's me my brain.
His people told him don't be arrogant. Don't be haughty. Allah doesn't like those who are haughty. You want to impress Allah, then forget about pride. Pride is prohibited lie at the whole Janita man Karna fickle behemoth Karla Huberty min hardily min Kibera, here is the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saying,
the one in whose heart a mustard seeds wait worth of pride is will not enter paradise. Imagine a mustard seed. Wait, that's almost very little. You have some pride, take it out, remove it. You are just like everyone else. Yes, Allah may have given you more than someone. That shouldn't be a reason that pride enters your heart. The Companions were worried when they heard about that hadith of pride. They were worried about their clothing and their conveyance and so on. Everyone loves a good house and a nice car and lovely clothing. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam explained it beautifully to say that's not pride. To have the best is not is does not automatically make you
proud. But when you despise people and reject the truth, but total hacky Welcome to Nursey then you have a problem, then you are proud, the truth is glaring you in the face and you are rejecting it completely. It's a sign of arrogance.
Other people are around you and you
despise them, belittle them mocking them. It's a sign of arrogance, didn't I say moments ago, watch your tongue. Watch how you speak within your circles within your families, to the young ones, no matter who you are, and from the young ones amongst each other, let one family among our extended families not think that they are more preferred or better than the other because then you have a major problem. Everyone is blessed uniquely by Allah, there is nobody who is not blessed. Your blessing is different from mine perhaps. So if I think I'm the only one that's blessed, I'm wrong.
Allah has favored us differently so that we can connect with each other and we can help each other live a life of goodness on Earth. One is a plumber. The other one is a baker. The other one is an accountant. Another is a doctor. Some is a rocket scientist, one is a pilot, the other one is a fireman. All put together. That's when we make society some are teachers, some are Muslims.
Right? The good ones by the way.
May Allah Almighty bless us all. We all have different inclinations today. If you enter a hall and you ask little children, what would you like to be when you grow up? I promise you, you will hear so many different things, things you didn't imagine. Things you didn't imagine. Where did that come from? It came from Allah, Allah inspired them to do all sorts of different things.
So when we learn to work together, to respect each other, to offer good words, sometimes joking too much, is not a good idea, especially when you're around sensitive people. And today the world is full of sensitive people.
You don't just joke and keep joking, then someone is hurt so bad, they are crying at night because of you and what you said, Imagine those tears are seen by Allah. What what price will you pray? Will you pay?
And then in the morning or the next day or sometime later, you hear how you hurt them so badly. You just say, but I was joking. I mean, you swore me You mocked at me. You scoffed at me. You made you belittled me, and now you just saying I was joking. Instead of apologizing.
Instead of apologizing and making amends. Are you prepared to apologize? You see, there are two things people say I demand an apology. I always say don't demand an apology. If you demand it, it will come with no sincerity.
But if someone offers an apology, and they're coming Look, I'm sorry, then they're really sorry. I want you to apologize, they'll come and say sorry and walk away and they're not sorry. They just wanted to solve the problem. But if they came on their own, they are truly sorry, may Allah grant us acceptance.
So the man comes up and he says, I heard this face I saw the face and I heard from the face these beautiful words of shoe Salama, auto mo parama was syllable or hammer. And the other one he says was Salou been Laylee oneness on em and pray at night when others are asleep. That is the height of connection with Allah. No one's watching. It's just me and Allah. And what am I doing? I mean sujood Well, Levy nirb Tuna Ali Rob, be him so
that Jaffa Junu boo miney mo, ba jer Yeah, their own out of whom? Oh, Obama. May Allah make us from among them.
Allah truly make us from among them.
Those who spend their nights between Bowing and prostration for Allah, between standing in prayer and in sujood prostration for Allah, in another verse in Surah Sajida that I just read now, Allah is describing it by saying, those whom Allah has chosen, they forsake their beddings their sides, forsake their beddings, I'm no longer lying down, I got up why everyone is asleep. My Lord is awake, and you will always be awake. I have my needs, I'm going to cry to my Lord, when you are struggling. When you are suffering, when something's gone wrong in your life, it is a blessing of Allah. The first port of call is that you change your life
in a positive way, by connecting with Allah more than you have been.
If your problem did not prod you to getting up at night when everyone was asleep, to cry to Allah, then it's not yet a problem.
It's not yet a problem. Allah will squeeze you further. You know why he loves you? He wants you to do something. He wants to invite you to an act of worship, that is fulfilled by invite only.
That is tahajjud. Allah invites those whom He loves to that prayer. And sometimes the invitation is through squeezing you, squeezing you until you realize
I have to, I will get up, I will cry, I will ensure that I cry and shed tears and beg Allah and continue to beg Allah until he gives me what I want. And I promise you Allah is all hearing. Allah will give you even better than what you asked for.
There was a girl a few years ago who said, Allah is not listening to my prayer. I said, Why? Because I want to marry a specific person and it is not happening. I said make dua to Allah perhaps he will give you someone better No, I don't want someone better. I want that particular person come on. Are you prepared to say oh Allah give it to me if it is good for me? No, I'm not I want it. Well, then you have a problem with Allah. Allah and Allah knows whether it's good or bad we are taught Allah Houma in Cana Halal Umrah you don't leave he didn't even Marshy. Well, I came back to Amory for first year holy
fuck Dear Holy where SEER holy thermobaric Leafy. We're in Cana huddle. Amara shabu leafy Dini, while Maha Shiva Cuba to Amory for three, four anniversary from the annual Walk doodlee al Hira. Hi to can from Mardini be. That's the Tao of istikhara I'm sure many of us know it off by heart. Am I right?
There we are.
What what does it mean? Oh Allah, if this is good for me, if you know that it's good for me, my deen and so on. You we don't know the future. Allah knows. We don't know what is coming. Allah knows. We don't know what would happen as a result of what I want. Allah knows. So Oh Allah, if you know that it is good for me, my Deen, et cetera, et cetera, make it easy for me give it to me write it for me and facilitate it and give me Baraka in it. And if you know it is not good for me for my deen and my life and whatever else and my future and so on, then
distance it from me, distanced me from it, create a barrier between us and make me happy with your decree.
It took her some time.
And then she started looking beyond what she wanted. She says, I've been trying to Allah, Oh Allah grant me You said Allah may grant me better.
Allah has granted me way better than what I asked.
Subhan Allah Subhana Allah. And I share this with you to give hope. To those who feel that Allah is not answering what Allah He knows better than you what is best for you. So keep on trusting Him and trust Him and thank Him. For indeed it is through gratitude that you will achieve. Thank Allah, everyone's complaining about every little thing. Thank Allah.
May Allah grant us. So pray at night, when everyone is asleep, what will happen with the combination of all these things? Allah says, We will grant you entry into paradise with ease up the liveness Salam says,
when I heard these words, and I saw his face, looking at his face, I knew this is not the face of Elia. Imagine someone telling you, I can see this face. This is not the face of Allah. Sometimes you see a face of a person, and you know this one is a liar.
If you can recognize one who doesn't lie, you can surely recognize one who lies but you need to have some connection with Allah to be able to do that. It's like someone saw the movie years ago, that came out called the message.
Some of you might have watched it. The message, what is it about?
The Syrah of the Prophet sallallahu sallam, the life of the prophet Sallallahu Sallam they it's called the message and I heard someone say Did you see the new Ron Hamza?
Did you see the * on the face of Hamza of the Allahu Anhu.
I got up I said my brother. That was Antony Quinn. He's actually a non Muslim actor.
It goes to show that what new is you need know to recognize nor in Nehemiah, fugly Mina, Nancy, The Who?
The people of virtue are recognized by people of similar virtue. Sometimes when you're connected with Allah, you can pick up certain things in Turkey for our settlement, meaning for in Naboo Jambo Rubino dilla. A true believer has a philosophy they have an understanding some understanding that is slightly deeper than that of the rest because he's connected with Allah.
And he looks with the light of Allah Allah Shane, something for him. He can see she can see a little bit more. You can pick things up sometimes.
And you come in to tell me look at the numeral on the face of Antony Quinn come on my brother. Come on.
It's like watching. What do they call it here Nollywood, right. And you say oh Masha, Allah Subhan that's an actress man. That's an actor.
May Allah Almighty protect us. So Abdullah Hypno Salam says, I looked at the face and knew it was not the face of Allah, I heard these wonderful, beautiful, powerful, amazing words. Joanne Mirel Kelim short small words with massive meanings. I knew this is the messenger of Allah that we are waiting for he goes to the Prophet peace be upon him and declares his faith.
We've heard all these ahaadeeth We are believers with faith, but we are dwindling in our faith. May Allah strengthen us, may Allah strengthen me to begin with and all of us imagine
the peace we are searching for.
When you develop a feeling for others, and you realize and recognize that they are the creatures of Allah created in a similar way that you were created. So if your life is all about impressing Allah, and showing Allah who you are, and how good you are, because you want to impress him, to invoke his love to actually get his blessings, what will you do, you will be so kind and so good to all the creatures of the same Allah, that is when you are truly liberated.
Because why I want to impress Allah but Allah made these people, everybody who I met on the street, who I meet, who speak good about me who don't speak good about me, who are kind, who are not kind, who are good, who are not good, who are honest, who are dishonest, who are upright, who are not upright, Allah made all of them how I am with them
would actually either impress my lord or not. So let me deal with them in a beautiful, impressive way. I don't mean that when there is a criminal you still need to be good to the criminal robber enters your home, you tell them Salam aleikum, what would you like to steal? You know, I believe in Allah, He made you he made me please take what you know, please do not get that wrong. Sometimes you need to crack up in a beautiful way. When it comes to the penal code in Islam. Allah Almighty has dictated that
it be thoroughly investigated if the person is found guilty of the crime, not beyond reasonable doubt. But with no doubt at all. They need to be made an example of in order for it to be a deterrent for everyone else. That's Islam. You know, the penal code in Islam. The difference is, if you can prove it beyond reasonable doubt, and not without any doubt, then you cannot get to the head. Because there is a small shuba there is a small doubt in it, even if it is a minor doubt, the punishment becomes less. You might it might be a jail term, it might be some other term. But what Allah says is, when something has been proven with out doubt, you see, if you go to the courts
today, they will jailed someone for 15 years based on beyond reasonable doubt. That's why in America mostly, you find cases of people who are freed after 20 years of wrong imprisonment. Have you seen those? Because why? They just said beyond reasonable doubt. And it's done in Islam, beyond any doubt whatsoever, then you can do something. May Allah Almighty protect us.
So an example is made in order for it to be a deterrent for others. So what I'm showing you is, it doesn't mean that because you are so merciful, you should not stand up for justice. Look what Allah says, In nulla higher moral Bill ideally, well, Sani will eat
even
Allah instruct you to be just and to be kind and to give your relatives three instructions, justice, kindness and giving your relatives look after them. Why does justice come before kindness because it is not kind to let go of justice. It's not kindness. I can't say oh, this person you know, just forgive them. Nevermind, they stole they stole 2 million from you 2 million naira just forgive them as it is the night has dropped quite a bit just forgive them. By the time you get it back. The 2 million will only be worth a bottle of Coke.
Firstly, I don't drink Coke.
I stopped
I've lost a few kilos as a result I feel healthier.
I invite you to stop to
Ma sha Allah. May Allah bless you.
Are we going to stop?
Allah Allah Allah you get a triple reward if you know
but thereafter, you can come to me and tell me just Jesus okay, you know what to have a be just be kind justice comes first. When you have served that then yes, we are all kind. It's kind to be just in the lie more
Will Bill Adly Well, son, what he taught you, they'll quarterback. You don't just go to a person. You know what? It's okay. Someone was divorced. And the kids were taken away by one party and the other party was told you're never going to see your kids and they keep telling them it's okay. It's okay. Just just have a big heart. What do you mean big heart I need to fight for my children. Man. I need to ensure that whatever supposed to happen happens because children need both parents divorced or not divorced.
One of the biggest gifts you can give your children is for them to be able to see you and your spouse living in goodness and how you interact. Many men are not even interested. And some of the women have lost the interest as a result.
When your children watch you as they grow up, interact with each other in a loving, kind, beautiful way Wallah. He it empowers them. You want to build community, invest in your own children. Invest in your tree, look at how Allah tells you, your relatives, your relatives, you who's who are the closest to you, your parents, your spouse, your children, what else
closest than your brothers and sisters, and who else and then the broader family but it starts off somewhere. Charity begins at home that's the reason why the Prophet peace be upon him tells us how you come early. Clearly the best from amongst you are those who are best to their family members, starting with a wife. And in the case of the wife, starting with your own husband,
when you are good day and they can bear witness that you are good Wallahi you are really good.
Because they see you throughout the day throughout the night. They see you good mood, bad mood. So when I'm in a bad mood or
you need to be careful.
When I'm in a bad mood, you can just stay aside see my friends are laughing because they know they with me. I say this man when he's in a bad mood just just come, relax, keep a bit of a distance and give him his space. We all get moods moody. You're not normally you don't
look at me covering my own back. May Allah protect us. May Allah strengthen us really. But what I mean is,
we need to realize those you live within your closest of circles know you better than others. They know you better.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam clearly says when they can bear witness for you, I promise you you're a good person. You're a good person because you know why? The circles that you are the most intimate with a saying this man is really a good man. Alhamdulillah May Allah bless us, Allah grant us goodness, so
are we going to invest in sha Allah in our own children?
You know what the Yes, came from this side and not the same.
Maybe some of these young men are not even married yet. But you can say yes, Allah will bless you with the children. Are we going to invest in our children in sha Allah, Allah He Wallahi we promised Allah
when when the Sahaba of the Allahu Anhu were making promises, they were massive Promises, promises of dying in the Cause of Allah, we just made a little promise to say you know what, invest in your family members learn to bring up your children with good qualities. They are the future, they will make up society community, you notice the attendance here, as the years pass, if the attendance becomes smaller and smaller, it's because we haven't succeeded in raising the new generations to give them the importance of such gatherings. We don't realize it, they won't come they won't attend because they will be elsewhere. Whereas I have seen communities in the West, the young ones are more
keen on such gatherings than the older ones. Wallahi, I promise. Imagine, don't think for a moment that Allah will be stuck now to Billa because of your lack of odd non interest in the deen of Allah no chance. If you don't come, Allah will take somebody else to come. If you didn't occupy the space, it's going to be occupied by someone else. I always tell people you abandon a teaching Allah brings others who will not abandon the teaching the teachings in their 10s or hundreds or 1000s. If you left something that you were supposed to do give you a simple example. Those who have abandoned May, Allah may strengthen all of us. This is just by way of example.
Those who have abandoned their hijab, for whatever reason, it may be Allah as a direct result of that one, abandonment has brought up created 10 minimum 10 others or 100 others who will done the hijab, you abandon your deen as a direct result of that Allah brings about another 10 or 100 or more or less, who will take that space. What is
that
yesterday in Coleman volume come through
Kuno
gum, if you are going to turn away, Allah will replace you with others and they won't be like you. Allah will replace so don't think I abandoned you were rejected by Allah.
Does he need you
Wallah he he doesn't wala Hoon wanting
to move
these very words of Allah or just preceding the ones I read earlier.
What is Allah saying? Allah is independent you are the ones in need meaning us. We are in need. Allah is not in need. You can pray all your life, I want to end with one beautiful, powerful narration.
Were the prophets, Allah, Allah Salam tells us that you know what, if Allah had to give
from the first human being to the last human being the billions, and the trillions and quadrillions and the pinto millions and the non millions and the resilience of humans that must have passed on Earth, right up to the last one, after we are gone, if Allah had to give each one of them and every gene from the beginning of gene kind to the end of gene kind, every single thing that they ever desire and asked for, and Allah had to give them all that which they wanted from the beginning to the end, Allah says, it does not displace the kingdom of Allah from the kingdom of Allah, except that which is similar to when a pin or a needle is put into the ocean and taken out.
Allahu Akbar,
do you know there is something called the James Webb telescope, please check it out, follow it, download the app and have a peek at what's going on. They launched it some time back.
Go into space go as far as you can bring back images, send back live images, we want to see what there is Wallahi this telescopes been going and going and every time it's going, it's discovering planets huger than ever before? Non Stop 1000s Millions, billions, trillions. It's just not ending like the sand in the desert.
Do you know that? It's a fact. It's true. Go check it. I was speaking to people and I said, you know the power of Allah, these stars that you see in the skies? Do you know that the nearest one is actually approximately four and a half light years away? You know what that means? What is the light here, a light here means you go out and you see it, you can see the light, the light of the star, this that light took four and a half years to get to your eyes, which means what you are seeing is actually an image from four and a half years back. That's the meaning of light years away. And if the nearest one is four and a half light years, it could perhaps not be there. And you're only
seeing it as though it's there. But it's not there anymore. Because four and a half years later you will discover Oh, it's not the law Kabara. That is Allah's creation. It's mind boggling. And who are you messing with Allah? Allah says, Do you know what the last person to enter Jannah we will give him 10 times more than this whole world and whatever it has the last one to enter Jannah this world is nothing in the eyes of Allah. Don't be deceived, our lives are short, let's make a change. Let's effect a change. Let's invest in our families, in our children, in our spouses, let's go out to, to make amends. This go out to solve problems and matters. Don't create them.
Learn to face your your your issues and solve them, give and take have a heart that is compassionate, who is addressing you if it is your spouse, your family members have a softer heart for them. Because you need to solve the problem. You need to resolve if you're not going to resolve issues, I promise you, you're going to go nowhere. How will you build a society when the children are astray because neither father was there? No mother was there. No one was there to take care of them besides the mobile phone and the television. So they living their lives thinking they are movie actors. And therefore they do whatever was done there and knew and I know we're living in an age
where people are doubting whether they are human or fish.
Yes, I've seen someone saying I'm a fish. He said What do you mean? No, I identify as a fish. And he thinks so. And he keeps on saying I'm efficiency. What What world are we living in? And then another one tapped me and say be careful. You're not allowed to tell him that he has a right to believe he's a fish. Allahu Akbar. Is that where we've gotten the law of the land, stipulate in some nations that you can be whatever you identify, identify yourself as Oh, Allah Akbar.
A guy standing like this. I'm a tree.
Where's your fruit brother?
May Allah grant us ease Allah He it's worth laughing at because intelligent people their brains are knocked completely One wonders because they don't have the connection with Allah with their maker. That's the reason.
So if you're not going to invest in your children, they will be raised by what I've just mentioned now, and if that's the case, we're heading for disaster.
So much of immorality is being spread through social media, but at the same time, so much of goodness is being spread
on social media. I picked up my phone
in the teen session earlier. And I told them, Can I open my Tik Tok account and show you my FYP?
And they said, Yes, yes. Because you know what, when you see the FYP you can literally tell how the person's been using the app because of algorithms and so on. And I showed them I showed them I flicked about 1015 times. And they were surprised Have you seen anything dirty here? No. You see, it depends how you use social media. You need to use it I've learned more from tick tock than I've learned from any other platform online. I'm not saying online is the go to but I'm saying there's so much thing so many things we can learn if you want to use it constructively use it but there's no one to mentor the children for them. It's anything exciting we're playing games and next best thing
you know a lot of immorality comes in the values are lost everything is lost then society crumbles we no longer it's all about myself I need to make the money I don't care about anyone else I need to do I don't care about the others that business of I don't care about others is actually godless.
We care we care about everyone we care about those we know those we don't know you spread that Salaam and see what happens you spread the goodness today greet each other greet each other I asked you right now to look at the person next to you and say uh Salam aleikum in their face.
And do you know when we pray, and we are in JAMA we actually say As salam o alaikum we are greeting Who are we greeting the people and the angels?
We get to know one another. Sometimes we we attend the same Masjid we go to the same place we've never spent a moment to say how are you? We've never smiled at each other and smiling is an act of charity Imagine no religion has said smiling is a charity besides Islam. Islam is the only faith it goes as far as
teaching you the expression on your face and how it should be because when you smile you know what even if my day was so bad, I just have to break into a smile again. Imagine if I smile we'll all smile
Am I right? Everyone's there look look at it. MashAllah even if you don't want to hear goes I show you more teeth. Look.
There we are. It's contagious. May Allah Almighty bless us all and grant us goodness. May Allah Almighty truly help us to rebuild
and reconnect with Allah for indeed that reconnection with Allah is of essence Akula kolayca are SallAllahu wasallam Obara, Kala Nabina Muhammad Subhan Allah Hamdi Subhana, Allah humma, Hamdi Ganesha to Allah, Allah, Allah and Mr. Furukawa to boil Lake